Motorcycle licence

The basic handling skills test comes first

Before you can sit the class 6 theory test and get a learner licence, you have to pass a basic handling skills test with an approved assessor. It happens off-road, in a controlled area, and it checks whether you can actually operate a motorcycle: starting, stopping, turning, controlled braking and slow-speed manoeuvring.

This is the step that surprises people who assumed the process mirrored the car one, where the theory test comes first and you never touch a vehicle until afterwards. It also means you need access to a bike and, in most cases, a training provider, before you have any licence at all.

Passing it gives you a certificate. You take that certificate to a driver licensing agent, sit the class 6 theory test and apply for the learner licence in the usual way — identity documents, eyesight screen, photograph and fee.

The stages, and what each one restricts

The class 6 learner stage lets you ride on the road alone, which is a significant difference from a car learner licence, but with conditions: use a LAMS-approved motorcycle, display a rear L plate, do not carry a passenger, do not tow another vehicle, and do not ride between 10pm and 5am. The current official list does not include the old 70km/h learner limit sometimes repeated in outdated advice.

The class 6 restricted stage comes after a practical assessment and removes some of those conditions while keeping others.

The class 6 full stage comes after a further assessment and removes the rest, including the restriction on which bikes you may ride.

The minimum periods at each stage are set by NZTA and published on its motorcycle licence pages. We do not restate them, and neither should the person at the bike shop.

LAMS: the list that decides what you may buy

Learner and restricted riders may only ride motorcycles on the LAMS approved list — a published list of machines considered appropriate for novice riders, based on power and weight rather than engine capacity alone.

Take the list literally when you are shopping. Two bikes of the same nominal capacity can sit on opposite sides of it, and a private seller telling you a bike is "learner legal" is offering an opinion. Check the specific model and variant against the published list before money changes hands, because this is the mistake that leaves someone owning a motorcycle they cannot lawfully ride for a couple of years.

The CBTA route

Alongside the standard test-and-wait progression there is a competency based training and assessment route, where you train with an approved provider and are assessed by them against a defined standard rather than sitting the conventional practical test.

Done through CBTA, the progression through the class 6 stages can be considerably faster than the time-served route, and the training is the point rather than a side effect. Which providers are approved to deliver it, and what the reduction in time is worth, are set by NZTA — the course providers page covers how to verify a provider is approved for the purpose it is being sold to you for.

Rider training in general is better supported in New Zealand than car tuition is, with subsidised courses available through national rider training programmes. Ask any provider what subsidised options they run before paying full price for a private lesson.

What it costs, and what happens if an assessment goes badly

Class 6 carries the same two-charge structure as every other class: an application fee and a test fee at each stage, both set by NZTA, plus the basic handling skills test and any training you buy. Where the current figures sit is on the fees page, and the training costs are commercial and not on that schedule.

If you do not pass an assessment, the next step depends on whether it was the BHST, a CBTA assessment or an NZTA practical test. Use the result sheet and the provider or agent's current rebooking instructions; do not assume every route has the same stand-down or fee.

Training and gear

Anyone charging to teach you must hold a current I endorsement for class 6. Ask to see it before the first paid lesson. A BHST assessor or CBTA provider also needs the approval relevant to the service being sold; one credential does not automatically cover every motorcycle assessment.

An approved motorcycle helmet is mandatory. Treat jacket, gloves, boots and protective trousers as part of the riding setup even when comparing course or bike costs: the licensing minimum is not a useful personal safety target.

Start with the class 6 learner guide for BHST, theory, LAMS and current conditions. Keep the machine's record separate with the motorcycle rego and WoF guide.